Prep report: Marshall boys, girls soccer teams fall in 7A playoffs

Duluth Marshall suffered a double dose of heartbreak Tuesday night as the boys and girls soccer teams lost by one goal in Section 7A semifinals.

The Hilltoppers boys team fell 4-3 at St. Francis as Hunter Doherty scored two goals, including the game-winner early in the second half after the teams combined for six first-half goals.

Marshall (10-8) fell behind 2-0 after 18 minutes before Peyton Marshak, returning from injury, and Griff Pichetti scored a minute apart to tie the score.

The Saints (13-4-1) regained the lead in the 31st minute, but Marshall’s Dakota Oman tied the game again four minutes later.

St. Francis and Duluth Denfeld will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday for the section title.

The Hilltoppers forced the unbeaten Wildcats to the limit before Kellie Higgins ended the 7A semifinal with a goal in the 19th minute of overtime at Lindstrom, Minn.

Marshall goalkeeper Natalie Welinski made four saves as did her counterpart, Dylan Grave.

Top-seeded Chisago Lakes (17-0-1) will play Cloquet-Carlton in Thursday’s final in North Branch, Minn.

Kiana Bender and Brenna Mattson scored first-half goals as the second-seeded Lumberjacks advanced to the 7A final with the win at Public Schools Stadium.

Gracie Meagher made three saves for Cloquet-Carlton (17-2).

Claire Vekich recorded 23 kills to lead the Raiders back from a one-set deficit to win the home match and win the Iron Range Conference outright.

Greenway (22-4) rallied to win 16-25, 25-11, 28-26, 25-13 to finish 7-0 in the IRC.

Lexiss Trygg totaled 26 kills for the Blue Devils.

Sam Pogatchnik had 24 kills to lead the visiting Rails to the nonconference victory.

Proctor ended the regular season 23-2.

Eveleth-Gilbert freshman Lydia Delich won the Section 7A singles title in Sartell, Minn., outlasting Pequot Lakes’ Megan Muller 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the championship match.

Delich won three matches Tuesday, including a three-set semifinal victory over Pine City’s Lydia Adams, to advance to the Class A individual state tournament Oct. 24-25 at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

After losing a heartbreaker in the 7A team final late Monday, Virginia individuals had a good day on the courts Tuesday.

Anna Seitz and Ava Warren won the doubles title with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over teammates Anneka Lundgren and Jacie Smith in the final. Both pairs qualified for the state tournament.

Northwestern senior Kiernan Smith improved six shots in Tuesday’s second round to finish tied for fourth in the Wisconsin Division 2 state tournament at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison.

Smith shot 89 and 83 for a 172 total to tie Somerset’s Haley Myers and finish 14 strokes behind champion Grace Welch of Edgewood.